Yusuke Godai
, born in Hokkaidō on March 18, 1975, with a blood type of O is a happy-go-lucky and honest person that fights to protect everyone's smile as . He and his younger sister, Minori, lost their mother while they were both young and their father at Afghanistan when they were older, living with their father's friend Tamasaburo Kazari. Biography On the day he returns from Indonesia to Japan at the airport, Yusuke's life changed the day that he visits Sakurako Sawatari (with a mask for her), who was helping in Professor Natsume's archaeological finding of the Linto Tribe and a mummified corpse, whose disruption marked the unsealing of a strange monster that attacks the archaeologists. Receiving a distress call from them, Yusuke makes his way to the excavation site, seeing the light that marks the rebirth of the Gurongi Tribe. By the time he arrived at the scene at daybreak, he finds the police investigating the area and meets detective Kaoru Ichijo, finding a strange belt tied to the visions he's been seeing. He later meet Ichijo and he and Sakurako are brought to the police station to learn the archeologists were all slaughtered by the mysterious monster, later referred to as "Unidentified Lifeform 0", before being given the Arcle to translate the markings on it. However, as they leave, the two encounter the Gurongi Zu-Gumun-Ba attacking the station upon being revived, Yusuke puts on the Arcle to fight him, resulting with the belt fusing onto him as he assumes Kuuga's Growing Form and saves Ichijo from the Gurongi, the detective recognizing Yusuke. After 11 hours of rest, Sakurako suggests they return to Tokyo as they are visited by Ichijo who tells him not to meddle in police affairs and go to Tokyo to see Shuichi Tsubaki. Later that night, Yusuke goes against Ichijo's wishes to help fight Zu-Gooma-Gu, only to be beaten by the stronger monster and later gets chewed up by Ichijo. But after seeing the daughter of the late Professor Natsume cry over her father's death, Yusuke's resolve to fight for the sake of keeping people from suffering led him to assume Mighty Form, taking the name of "Kuuga" as he saves Ichijo from Gooma and destroys Gumun. Starting with inspector Kaoru Ichijo, Yusuke eventually gains the trust of the police department by receiving the TryChaser 2000 from Ichijo. While brought to Doctor Shuichi Tsubaki for a confidential check-up, Yusuke learns that the Arcle's fusion onto him is more complex as it had spread vein-like connections into his muscular and nervous systems. During his first battle with Zu-Badzū-Ba, Kuuga assumes Dragon Form and eventually masters it with Sakurako's aid to kill Badzū. Then while fighting Me-Bajisu-Ba, Kuuga assumes Pegasus Form but was overwhelmed by his enhanced senses as Bajisu escapes, vowing revenge on Kuuga. Unable to change, Yusuke decides to help Ichijo by finding Mika Natsume, who is on the verge of being suicidal when her father's murderer not yet caught. After talking Mika into letting things resolve themselves over time, Bajisu attacks and Yusuke is able to effectively use Pegasus Form's power to kill the Grongi sniper. While dealing with Me-Giiga-Gi, and Minori's apprehensive feelings for being Kuuga, Yusuke is able to become Titan Form to defeat Giiga after convincing Minori that it all be right. Yusuke later meets Junichi Chono, a young man who lost his faith in humanity and thought to be able to relate more the Unidentified Lifeforms. However, his encounter with Me-Biran-Gi said otherwise when Kuuga saves the boy before killing the Gurongi. During the fight however, Yusuke felt the reawakening of the Gouram as it was excavated and whirled to life to make its way towards him, providing its power for him to counter Me-Gyarido-Gi. Later, when poisoned by Me-Ginoga-De, Yusuke manages to survive the near death experience due to the Amadam countering the poison when induced with shock therapy, allowing him to arrive to the police's aid to destroy Ginoga and later his clone. But since then, Yusuke begins to feel a numbing pain during his next few battles as Kuuga against stronger Gurongi. He learns that it may be tied to a greater power that maybe needed as he believes that stronger Gurongi will eventually appear. After training to bring out the "golden power" with Enokida's help, Yusuke's battle against the promoted Go-Garima-Ba leads to an upgraded version of Kuuga's Titan Form, Rising Titan. The next two fights allow Yusuke to become bring Rising Pegasus and Rising Dragon while learning that the Arcle had fused further into his body. After healing from being wounded by Go-Gamego-Re, Yusuke meets Chono as he took up being an artist since their last encounter before he finds the Gurongi and kills him once achieving Rising Mighty, accidentally causing mass devastation. Because of the incident, the BeatChaser 2000 would not to be given to Kuuga as the Go-Badā-Ba finally begins to play, saving Kuuga as his final victim. While Ichijo convinces his fellow officers, Yusuke is aided by Sugita in tracking down Badā until Ichijo arrives with the Beat Chaser which allows Kuuga to destroy Badā. However, the incident with the sadistic Go-Jaraji-Da, influences Yusuke's behavior for the worse, causing him to subconsciously assume Kuuga's Ultimate Form while killing the Gurongi in a brutal rage. Later, Yusuke goes to Enokida when she wanted to investigate the reason on how he can turn everyday objects into weapons like the Go Gurongi before going after Go-Zazaru-Ba when she went up against an evolving Gooma, worried that two Grongi fighting each other was a very bad omen. This is made worst when Yusuke learns the "Kuuga" character is not of Linto origin, but is actually an incomplete Gurongi character and may be tied to Number 0, later revealed as the Gurongi lord N-Daguva-Zeba when he arrived to slaughter Gooma before making his way to Tokyo for end-game. Yusuke's fears of their relation were confirmed as Sakurako fully translated the Linto text and the Gurongi characters on it, revealing his mental wellbeing during the incident with Jaraji while understanding that he'll be alright as long as he doesn't fight out of hate. After learning from Enokida that the Gurongi may also share Kuuga's ability to change form, Yusuke leaves when Go-Jāza-Gi makes her move. During a flawed attempt to get her, Kuuga senses Daguva and got wounded while his guard was down before he finally kills Jāza in the next confrontation. After a post-discussion of the recent Gurongi/Kuuga connections after the death of Go-Baberu-Da, Yusuke makes his way to the 12 Arikawa Group Flute Competition, having brush in with Daguva before arriving to the Arikawa Group building after a hostage situation is resolved with Mika traumatized by the incident. As he escorts Mika to her train for home, Yusuke tells her not to run away even if things get scary. During the battle with the last of the Go Gurongi, Go-Gadoru-Ba, Kuuga is overwhelmed by the Gurongi's ability to assume forms similar to his own. Severely wounded as a result, Yusuke is brought to the hospital where after a question of ethics, Tsubaki agrees to induce an electro-therapy charge after his heart gave out. By the time he leaves the hospital, Yusuke arrives to the stadium where Gadoru is fighting Ra-Dorudo-Gu. However in the ensuing rematch, Kuuga assumes the dark-armored Kuuga Amazing Mighty to kill Gadoru. With all the Gurongi warriors dead, Daguva finally reveals himself, overpowering Kuuga's Amazing Mighty and cracking the Amadam while killing numerous people before taking his leave, sparing Kuuga so he can get even stronger. Knowing that he has no choice but to break his word and assume that form, Yusuke visits to his friends one-by-one, knowing that he may not come back, with Sakurako realizing his intentions as Daguva finally makes his move, telling Yusuke to meet him at Mount Kuro. With Ichijo joining him, Yusuke tells him to shoot him in the Arcle should he go berserk and becoming the entity that bring ultimate darkness, though the officer is reluctant to do that. Once assuming Ultimate Form, powered by his gentle nature rather than hatred, Kuuga battles Daguva to the point of exhaustion and nearly getting himself killed. Three months after the final battle, Yusuke had begun a new adventure to travel the world, starting at a Cuban beach where he helps some kids before walking off. He most likely regained the ability to assume his Rider Forms, due to recent crossovers. Later appearances in Kamen Rider/Super Sentai live action productions Kamen Rider Decade *In the version of Kamen Rider Decade episode 31 shown in reruns, an unidentified Ultimate Kuuga, with black eyes, appears as one of Wataru Kurenai's companions, who antagonize Decade after he failed in his mission of saving the worlds. When more Riders appear and the Rider War starts, Kuuga seemingly reverts to Mighty Form and boards the TryChaser 2000, although he's knocked out during the conflict. In the original version of the episode, the Ultimate Kuuga in the final battle was a brainwashed Yusuke Onodera, but all references to his identity are removed in the rerun version, which just makes him appear as another member of Wataru's group. Tv-Asahi site also lists this Kuuga as a separate character. OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders *Kamen Rider Kuuga, in Mighty Form, appears in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders. He reappears alongside the other Heisei era Riders, fighting against Gurongi that allied themselves with Shocker and other Kamen Rider villains from the 40 years of the franchise. Kuuga defeats N-Gamio-Zeda who had become one of Shocker's executives and stops the Gurongi's offensive. Afterwards, he joins up with every other Rider for a final battle against the Great Leader of Shocker. *When all the Riders board their vehicles for a combined attack against the Great Leader, Kuuga goes with the Rising BeatGouram. **Although Kuuga's human form isn't shown in the movie itself, he has no lines and isn't listed in the credits, Kuuga is confirmed to be Yusuke Godai by the movie's official website. http://www.all-rider.jp/character/index.html lists Kamen Rider Kuuga as Godai Yusuke Kamen Rider Fourze *The previous Riders, Kuuga among them, are remembered as urban legends. In episode 2, there's brief new video footage of four past Riders, including Kuuga. Kuuga's video footage shows him in Mighty Form facing three Gurongi who look similar to Zu-Gooma-Gu in Ultimate Form, Zu-Zain-Da and Me-Badjisu-Ba. Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen and X as the Kamen Riders and are attacked by a giant and .]] Kuuga, among the majority of the Kamen Riders, was caught up in the "Super Hero Taisen" incident which resulted in the Kamen Riders and Super Sentai joining forces to defeat both Dai-Shocker and Dai-Zangyack. Kiva is being shown when he is team-worked with Tsukasa at first (as Decade in 1 form) while riding his TryChaser 2000. Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z , Ryuki, and Kuuga as seen in Super Hero Taisen Z.]] Kuuga was part of a force of Rider and Sentai reinforcements led by Kamen Rider 1 and that came to assist the Riders and Sentai of recent years who were overwhelmed by the revived monster army of the . The combined forces of superheroes were able to turn the tide against the Madou army. They lined up and used their various finisher attacks to destroy the revived monsters. After was destroyed and the battle was finally over, Kuuga appeared standing on a cliff with all the other heroes who appeared to help, to say goodbye to the heroes of recent years before taking their leave. Kamen Rider Wizard ]] Kuuga appears with all the Heisei Riders from himself to Fourze, led by Decade, in a special two-parter after the finale, The Kamen Rider Rings and Neverending Story. Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai to be added Kamen Rider Kuuga In all versions, Kamen Rider Kuuga (known simply as Kuuga, in the original series) is a fighter who battled the Gurongi, assuming his Rider form through the Arcle, which was created by the Linto Tribe. However the symbol for "Kuuga" is not a native character that came from the Linto but is actually an incomplete Gurongi character, tied to N-Daguva-Zeba who, like Kuuga, possesses an Amadam. So in theory, Kuuga's form may actually be based off Daguva himself and the Arcle was created to mimic his abilities. Kuuga's Forms Kuuga is the Kamen Rider with the third most forms to date (when adding both the forms assumed by Godai and Onodera), 14 in total, one shy from Kamen Rider Double with 15 different forms, and 115 shy from Kamen Rider OOO with 129 different forms (if you exclude the Random Combos involving Medals from the Movies or anywhere outside the series). Aside from his first form, Growing Form, he had four base forms that he relied on and would upgrade throughout the series, and in Decade, even Ultimate Form also gained an upgrade which he can alternate in between by saying . His armor and eyes would change color depending on the form. Like the Go-Gurongi, Kuuga can alter any item he has into a weapon by temporary changing its atomic structure. is the weakest form of Kuuga and has white armor with small horns. In the first episode, Yusuke wears the belt to fight Zu-Gumun-Ba but is unable to fully utilize its power. Kuuga will turn white if he is seriously injured and will not be able to transform for 2 hours. In the first few episodes, he is labeled as "Unidentified Being 2" and thought to be a different being from his other form. Although his power is weak in this form, he can still use the finisher called , though it is only 1/3 as strong as the Mighty Kick. Appearances: Episode 1 - Standard Forms= Similar to his predecessor, Riku, Yusuke used these forms to fight the Gurongi Tribe. is Kuuga's default form and has red armor, originally referred to by the police as Unidentified Life Form #4. Yusuke was first able to transform into this form while fighting Zu-Gooma-Gu. In this form, Kuuga uses his attack to kill the monsters. Appearances: Episode 2 - Dragon= Dragon Form *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 90 kg. (198.4 lbs.) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 1 t. **'Normal kicking power': 3 t. **'Maximum jump height': 30 m. (98 ft., 4 in.) **'Maximum running speed': 100 m. per 2 seconds (328 ft. per 2 sec) **'Sense': x10 is an azure form that allows Kuuga to be more agile and quicker, although his physical strength is lower than Mighty Form, Dragon Form enables Kuuga to and jump quickly in order to pursue the enemy. However, it also gives Kuuga less protection, yet being better suited for quick movements and more jump power. To make up for the lack of strength, he uses the staff as his weapon, transmorgified by using any pole or stick-like object to manifest it. His finishing move in this form is , an aerial thrust attack to the torso. Appearances: Episode 5 - Pegasus= Pegasus Form *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6ft., 5in.) *'Rider weight': 99 kg. (218.2lbs.) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 1 t. **'Normal kicking power': 3 t. **'Maximum jump height': 15 m. (164 ft.) **'Maximum running speed': 100 m. per 5.2 seconds (328 ft. per 5.2 seconds) **'Senses': x1,000 is a green shooting form where Kuuga's senses are heightened to extreme, superhuman levels, enabling him to see, hit and hear his opponents with deadly precision. It also allows Kuuga to detect the enemy's position, despite whatever ability they may have to avoid detection. The downside to this is that it can not be sustained for too long because of the enormous strain placed on the nervous system from over stimulation (only 50 seconds), and if Kuuga exceeds this limit, he shall be knocked back into Growing Form and become unable to transform for two hours. Kuuga uses the crossbow/gun hybrid weapon that can be created out of any gun-like object, commonly Ichijo's hand gun. His finishing move with the bow gun is , an arrow shot from the bowgun after pulling the hammer back to the fullest length. Appearances: Episode 7 - Titan= Titan Form *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 110 kg. (242.5 lbs.) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 7 t. **'Normal kicking power': 10 t. **'Maximum jump height': 10 m. (32 ft. and 8 in.) **'Maximum running speed': 100m per 7.2 seconds (328 ft. per 7.2 seconds) **'Sense': x10 is a purple herculean form where his defense is greatly increased, allowing him to withstand most of his opponents' attacks long enough to get in close range, despite sacrificing speed. This form has much larger armor that is mainly silver with large purple trims. Although this armor provides superior protection, it still leaves parts of his body exposed, thus making him still suspectible to damage. He uses the that can be created out of pole or stick-like objects, normally the control handle of his bike. His finishing move is , a powerful sword thrust wherein Kuuga twists the blade as it is impaled. Appearances: Episode 10 }} - Rising Forms= By allowing himself to be the conduit for electricity to power the Amadam, Yusuke Godai obtained upgraded versions of his standard ones. Known as Kuuga's Golden Power for its additional gold trimmings and extensions and the mark of power (chikara written in ancient Linto writings) on the back of Kuuga's hands. , with golden trimmings. The is equipped in the right leg, upgrading Kuuga's attack to , which causes the target to explode with the blast radius of a few city blocks. Appearances: Episode 30 - Dragon= Rising Dragon *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 92 kg (202.8 lbs) (Rising) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 2 t. (Rising) **'Normal kicking power': 5 t. (Rising) **'Maximum jump height': 50 m. (164 ft.) (Rising) **'Maximum running speed': 100 m. per 2 seconds (328 ft. per 2 sec) **'Sense': x10 Dragon Form was later upgraded by the golden power into , gaining a golden trim with his weapon enhanced into the voulge and his finishing move has improved into the . Appearances: Episode 28 - Pegasus= Rising Pegasus *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6ft., 5in.) *'Rider weight': 99.9 kg. (220.2 lbs.) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 1 t. **'Normal kicking power': 3 t. **'Maximum jump height': 15 m. (164 ft.) **'Maximum running speed': 100 m. per 5.2 seconds (328 ft. per 5.2 seconds) **'Senses': x1,000 Once upgraded to , Kuuga can hold the form for 30 seconds more for a total of 1 minute and 20 seconds, and uses the for his . This attack may use up to three arrows. Appearances: Episode 25 - Titan= Rising Titan *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 122 kg. (268.9 lbs.) *'Ability perimeters' **'Punching power': 7 t. **'Normal kicking power': 10 t. **'Maximum jump height': 10 m. (32 ft. and 8 in.) **'Maximum running speed': 100m per 7.2 seconds (328 ft. per 7.2 seconds) **'Sense': x10 This was the first of Kuuga's forms to be upgraded by the golden power, becoming . As a result, Kuuga uses the for the finisher. But Kuuga can create a second Rising Titan Sword to use in the stronger attack. Appearances: Episode 24 }} - Amazing Mighty= Amazing Mighty *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 125 kg. lbs. *'Ability perimeters:' **Punching power: 35 t. **Normal kicking power: 50 t. **Maximum jump height: 60m (196 ft., 10 in.) **Maximum running speed: 100 m. per 5.2 seconds (328 ft. per 5.2 sec) **Sense: x10 **Finishing Attack Power: 75 t. (Amazing Mighty Kick) is the evolved form of Rising Mighty appeared in episode 46, with the Mighty Anklet equipped on both legs for use of the dropkick attack. Appearances: Episode 46 - Ultimate= combines all the powers of the other forms, Ultimate Kuuga has a much different design colored black with gold (and a little silver) trims all over his body, as well as having five horns on the headcrest, a black belt core and spiky-looking armor. Originally a risk is that the user would lose control and become like Daguba, a monster bent on killing everything in its way. However, due to Godai's gentle nature, he retains his will as he uses the new form against Daguba, retaining the red eye color of Mighty Form as opposed to the original black eyed color. When in battle, Ultimate Kuuga is able to see a monster's human form, every single attack from Kuuga Ultimate causes his opponent to bleed, despite the enemy's powerful armor. This form can also utilize the same powers as Daguva including Pyrokinesis, along with the ability to utilize the Dragon Rod, Pegasus Bowgun, and Titan Sword, all in Rising form. However this ability was never shown along with the Ultimate Form's most powerful attack, the , which is the strongest version of his Rider Kick, easily capable of destroying the entire world. This form was also called the . In Kamen Rider Decade, Ultimate Kuuga is also capable of the finisher, a punch coated with hot flames. - Rising Ultimate= Rising Ultimate *'Rider height': 200 cm. (6 ft., 5 in.) *'Rider weight': 150 kg. (330.6 lbs.)' *'Ability perimeters''' **'Punching power': 100 t **'Normal kicking power': 120 t. **'Maximum jump height': 110 m. (360.8 ft.) **'Maximum running speed': 100 m. per 1 seconds (328 ft per 1 seconds) Once unique to Kamen Rider Decade is Kuuga . Much like Kuuga's other forms that were given a "Rising" upgrade within the original Kamen Rider Kuuga, Rising Ultimate is the final, evolved, and true form of Kuuga's Ultimate Form. In this form, Kuuga has two attacks: the and the . Rising Ultimate Kuuga is first accessed in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker by his Decade counterpart until he uses it in Wizard's last episode Neverending Story. Differently from his counterpart's version of the form, Godai's Rising Ultimate produced electricity sparks when it charged up its attack, like with the previous Rising Forms, while Onodera's red eyes Rising Ultimate was shown with flames around its special attacks. Appearances: Episode 53 (Wizard) }} - Kuuga Gouram= Kuuga Gouram Decade's Final Form Ride Card allows Kuuga to transform into the , giving him the ability to fly. However, Godai only uses this in the Neverending Story, a second part of Kamen Rider Wizard special. }} Kuuga's Arsenal *Arcle - Kuuga's transformation belt. *Gouram - A mysterious, stag beetle-shaped entity that assists Kuuga. *TryChaser 2000 - Kuuga's bike. The bike can combine with the Gouram to become TryGouram. *BeatChaser 2000 - Kuuga's secondary bike after TryChaser 2000 was destroyed. Like the TryChaser 2000, the bike also able to combine with Gouram to become BeatGouram. The BeatGouram can be powered up with Kuuga's golden power to become Rising BeatGouram. *Mighty Anklet - Used in Kuuga Rising Mighty and Amazing Mighty. *Dragon Rod - Used in Kuuga Dragon Form. **Rising Dragon Rod - Used in Kuuga Rising Dragon. *Pegasus Bowgun - Used in Kuuga Pegasus Form. **Rising Pegasus Bowgun - Used in Kuuga Rising Pegasus. *Titan Sword - Used in Kuuga Titan Form. **Rising Titan Sword - Used in Kuuga Rising Titan. Appearances in other media Video Game appearances Kamen Rider Kuuga video game Yusuke appears as Kuuga in the ''Kamen Rider Kuuga'' video game. The player may play as Kuuga in his Mighty, Dragon, Pegasus, Titan, Growing, and Ultimate Forms. Kamen Rider Agito & Kuuga Wild Battle Kuuga appears with Agito in Kamen Rider Agito & Kuuga Wild Battle. He is playable in all forms except Growing Form. This was the first Kamen Rider video game to feature Kuuga Amazing Mighty as a playable character and also feature Kuuga's Rising Forms as fully playable. Rising Forms and Ultimate Form can only be selectable during battle by pressing Down (Rising Forms must select pre-existing forms first (for example Mighty Form can select Rising Mighty etc.)) Amazing Mighty is only playable in Survival Mode on normal difficulty (replaces Mighty Form automatically after Mighty Form's life is lower than 30%). Kamen Rider: The Bike Race Kuuga appears riding the Beat Chaser 2000 in Kamen Rider: The Bike Race, a racing game featuring the majority of Kamen Riders and Rider Machines up to Kamen Rider Agito. Kamen Rider: Battride War Kamen Rider Kuuga appears as a Main Rider in the video game Kamen Rider: Battride War, which unites the riders of the Heisei era from Kuuga to Wizard. Kuuga's Rising Forms (with Amazing Mighty as Rising Mighty's special finisher) can accessable via normal string charge attack. c20130318_riderbw_010_cs1w1_720x.jpg|Kuuga riding his TryChaser in game. Kuuga Rising Titan Form.jpg|Kuuga Rising Titan in the game. Rising_Kuuga_Mighty_Kick.jpg|Kuuga Rising Mighty knocking out a Salis Worm. Kuuga_Ultimate_flamethrower.jpg|Kuuga Ultimate Form channeling flames from his hand. XqTjfpd.jpg|Kuuga Ultimate Form vesus N-Daguva-Zeba in a cutscene. 4 riders vs wizard.JPG|Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki and Kiva before they using their Rider Kicks to terminate Wizard. KRBW_All_Riders_Heisei_and_NeoHeisei.png|Kuuga among the Heisei and Neo-Heisei Era Riders. Kamen Rider: Battride War II Kamen Rider Kuuga reappeared in Kamen Rider: Battride War II. 15allheisei.PNG|All of the main official Heisei Riders, from Kuuga to Gaim. Thefirst5heiseiriders.PNG|The first 5 Heisei Kamen Riders in their Rider Machines. Stage Shows Timeranger Stage Show at Double Hero Korakuen Yuenchi *In a stage show where the Timerangers are seen fighting their usual foes, a Gurongi shows up and winds up defeating them. Kuuga in Mighty Form arrives to assist the Timerangers. Names "Kuuga" in Japanese comes from the readings of . This possibly relates to how the user of the Arcle must have a "drive" to fully use the power of the belt. "Godai" translates to "five great" and is also one of the names for the five elements in Japanese philosophy. This relates to Kuuga's forms and their relations the five elements. Behind the scenes Portrayal Yusuke Godai was portrayed by . In Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen, Kuuga was voiced by . In the newly released Kamen Rider Battride War, he was voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki, who also voices his A.R. counterpart. As Kamen Rider Kuuga, his suit actor was , his motorcycle action suit actor was . Kenji Tominaga returned to do suit work for the A.R. World Kuuga in episodes 25 and 26 of Kamen Rider Decade and in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. He once again served as suit actor for Kamen Rider Kuuga in Super Hero Taisen. Rider No. As the leading Rider protagonist of Kamen Rider Kuuga, Yusuke Godai (Kamen Rider Kuuga) is labeled and . In Popular Culture In the Haiyore! Nyarko-san OVA "How to Defeat a Kind Enemy", Nyarko paraphrases Godai's famous speech from episode 2 of Kuuga: "For the sake of protecting everyone's smiles, I will become a magical girl! So please watch!" She then performs Godai's transformation pose to change into her magical girl identity. Additionally, in episodes 1 and 6 of the 2012 anime, Nyarko performs the Mighty Kick against her opponents, complete with Godai's trademark shout "Oriyaa!". Notes *Not only is Kuuga the first Kamen Rider of the Heisei Era, he is also the first Kamen Rider to have a stag beetle motif, followed quickly by G3, Garren, Gatack, and OOO in the Gatakiriba Combo. *Godai is the only Heisei Primary Rider to have no secondary nor extra Riders to aid his battle, though this may have been due to the fact that Ishinomori had worked on Kuuga before his death, and the staff of the series left him to fight the Gurongi alone Rider-wise as a tribute to Ishinomori. *Kuuga's Ultimate form is the only Heisei Kamen Rider's final form with the shortest number of appearances in their respective series to date, with its only appearances only as a silhouette in some episodes and its proper debut in one episode before the finale. *Since it's Yusuke Onodera who became Kuuga in the All Riders vs. Dai Shocker movie. it can be assumed that Yusuke Godai is the only original Heisei Rider who didn't participate in the battle against Dai Shocker, given that (aside from Kamen Rider Black) the other riders like Agito, Ryuki, etc. are the original Kamen Riders themselves, rather than their AR counterparts. *According to All Rider Net Movie, Godai is a Taurus with Type-B blood. *Kuuga Ultimate form is the only Final form that was never summoned and/or used by Kamen Rider Decade Complete Form in the series, not counting the time when he did summon him together with the other Heisei Kamen Riders in their respective final forms in Kamen Rider Decade: Protect! The World of Televikun and the game, Kamen Rider: Battride War. *Ultimate Kuuga's weapons were referred to in the official data, but never seen in the series proper. However, the weapons were included with the Souchaku Henshin action figure, where they were depicted as identical to the Rising weapons, with the blue/green/purple parts recolored to black. *Yusuke's words of giving hope to everyone and his thumb up signature is similar to Shin Asuka/Ultraman Dyna, the protagonist from the series with the same name. *Masaya Matsukaza who played Shun Namiki (MegaBlue) in , auditioned for the role of Yusuke, but was unsuccessful. External Links References Category:Kamen Riders Category:Kamen Rider Kuuga Category:Heisei Era Riders Category:Heroes Category:Primary Riders Category:Protagonist Category:Kuuga Riders Category:Mystic Riders